CHESS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 671, 15 January 1903, Page 9

CHESS.

This year the championship has fallen to an Aucklander. Mr Grierson, who won, first appeared as a competitor for championship honour® at, Christchurch six years ago, when he won only one game out of ten. The following year, at Auckland, he came out with a score of 2£ ; and last year, alsrTat Auckland, he made the same score. This is his fourth try forthe championship, and the first time he has secured a place. Mr Grierson was taught chess when a boy of fourteen or fifteen years old by his father, and played occasionally before coming to New' Zealand, when twenty years of age. He hails from Cheshire, in the neighbourhood of Manchester. After coming to the colony he went farming in the Waikato, and for thirteen years hardly played a game. He then moved to Auckland, and in a year or two joined the Pon- l‘i sonby Club, going in then for reading up the book. Prior to this ne had not studied the book. In 1895 he won the championship initiated for Auckland, and district, winning 15£ games out of 19. The following year he captured the Auckland Club championship, and in 1897 was fourth in the same tourney. In 1898 he came oift second aa the Auckland Chess Club tournament, and won in 1899, 1900, 1901, and 1902, in. one of these years winning 184games out of 20. • ♦ ♦ • • • The following list shows the winners up to date of all the championship tournaments held in New Zealand, and the centre represented in each case : — 1879—H. Hookham, Christchurch 1888— A. M. Ollivier, Christchurch 1889— H. Hookham, Christchurch ] 890—R. J. Barnes, Wellington 1891 — F. V. Siedeberg, Dunedin 1892— F. V. Siedeberg, Dunedin 1893 — J. Edwards, Wellington 1894— W. Mackay, Wellington 1895— W. Meldrum, Rangitikei 1896— R. J. Barnes, Wellington ; 1897— R. J. Barnes, Wellington 1898 — R. A. Cleland, Dunedin 1900— W. E. Mason, Wellington 1901— D. Forsyth, Dunedin 1901— R. J. Barnes, Wellington , | \ 1902— J. C. Grierson, Auckland